Guilty plea entered in gun deal

Weapon sold to Barnaby not used to shoot police officers.

Weapon sold to Barnaby not used to shoot police officers.

June 14, 2007|Tribune Staff Report

SOUTH BEND - Jason Katz followed through today on his written agreement with the U.S. attorneyÂ?s office and pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally selling a gun to the man who shot two South Bend police officers last month.

Katz, 31, of South Bend, admitted to selling and delivery of a firearm by a licensed firearm dealer to another person without recording the name, age and address of the person receiving the gun.

Judge Allen Sharp set sentencing for Sept. 21.

On April 22 at a local gun show, Katz sold a Phoenix Arms .22-caliber handgun to Scott Barnaby for $100 Â?off the books,Â? although he was working for Indiana Arms & Ammo.

Katz earlier had taken the gun - not the weapon used to shoot the officers - he sold as a trade-in on another gun that was sold at the gun show.

Barnaby later used the gun to fire shots along Lincoln Way East, to which police responded. When officers confronted him at the nearby Wooden Indiana Motel, Barnaby shot and killed Cpl. Nick Polizzotto and wounded officer Michael Norby with another weapon.